Best tech and gadgets for your summer fun

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Summer is one of our favorite seasons of the year! As the temperatures rise, you can’t help but want to read a book by the pool, spend a day at the beach or even take a long hike.

No matter which summer activity you look forward to most, if you don’t have the right gear, the whole experience could be ruined. That’s why we’ve rounded up some amazing tech gadgets that will help you get the most out of the hot summer weather.

1. Thermos connected hydration bottle

Staying active while enjoying the weather outside is a staple of summer. It’s extremely important to stay hydrated while temperatures increase though. That’s where this Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle can help.

The bottle holds 24 ounces and includes a smart lid that measures your liquid intake. It then sends the data to the Thermos Smart Lid app. The app determines a hydration goal personalized just for you and shows your progress toward meeting it.

Here are some of the product features:

Measures the intake of all liquids while providing real-time beverage temperature readings

The Hydration Calculator gives you a suggested hydration goal based on your personal data

2. GoPro HERO5 Session

I wish innovations in technology that are available today were around when I was a kid. Some of my favorite memories come from summertime adventures as a child. Having those memories captured on a modern high-quality camera would be glorious.

The GoPro HERO5 Session is the ultimate combination of performance and size. Liquid-smooth image stabilization, a waterproof design and go-anywhere durability let you capture life as you live it.

The HERO 5 Session is also great for editing and sharing. It can automatically upload footage to your GoPro Plus cloud account, providing easy access on your gadget. Then you can use GoPro’s editing app, Quick, to create spectacular videos.

3. Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition

Keeping children entertained feels like a 24/7 operation. This task can be especially difficult during summer when they are on school break.

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is a great tool in the never-ending battle against boredom. This gadget is perfect for when you’re driving across the country during the family vacation or just spending a rainy afternoon indoors.

The Fire HD 8 Kids Edition sports an 8-inch display and a 12-hour battery life. Children can use it to access movies, TV shows and games.

It can also be used to keep their minds sharp. There are over 15,000 books available with an Amazon FreeTime Unlimited subscription along with educational apps. The Amazon FreeTime Unlimited subscription comes with the purchase of a Fire Kids Edition at no additional cost for one year.

Here are some Fire HD 8 Kids Edition features:

8-inch HD display

32 GB storage (expandable by up to 256 GB)

Up to 12 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video and listening to music

4. Amazon Kindle

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is great for an all around entertainment gadget. But if you’re looking for something with fewer frills, the Amazon Kindle is a great choice.

The Kindle E-reader has a 6-inch, glare-free touchscreen display, which is perfect for reading at the beach or just under the bright sunshine. You can carry a virtual library with you on the go without having to lug around all those bulky books. It’s truly a book lover’s best friend.

Here are some product features:

All-new thinner and lighter design available in black or white

Touchscreen display reads like real paper

No screen glare, even in bright sunlight

Battery lasts for weeks on a single charge

Holds thousands of books

Amazon Prime members read free with unlimited access to over a thousand titles

5. Ikea Smart Lighting

As you know, electric bills can get out of control during the summer. Staying cool with a constantly running air conditioner isn’t cheap. That’s why you need to find ways to cut electricity usage in other areas.

Smart Lighting from Ikea can help do just that.

With smart lighting, you can change the atmosphere in your home with the touch of a button. You’re in charge of up to 10 different wireless LED lights with just one remote.

You can dim the lights, turn them on or off and change the warmth of their glow. Ikea’s smart lighting range includes wireless LED bulbs, panels and doors for furniture as well.

Click here to find out what smart lighting items Ikea has to offer. You can purchase LED bulbs for as little as $11.99.

6. Samsung Gear S3 Frontier

If outdoor summer adventures are the goal, the Gear S3 Frontier is the version of Samsung’s latest smartwatch that you’ll want.

Unlike other smartwatches like the Gear S3 Classic or the Apple Watch that require smartphone tethering, the Gear S3 Frontier has its own built-in 3G/LTE connectivity and GPS, so all of its smart functionality will work as long as there’s a cellular connection.

Not only that, the Gear S3 has military-grade water, dust, extreme temperature and drop resistance, tough enough for even the rough-and-tumble outdoor activities you’re planning this season.

7. Best smart lounge chair

Shaze is a foldable and portable lounge chair that has all the techie amenities you may need while you’re out and about.

First, it has four high-quality waterproof speakers built into its armrests, perfect for chilling out with your favorite tunes.

Smartphone running out of juice? Powered by its rechargeable 10,000 milliamp battery, the Shaze’s internal power bank and USB charger will ensure that your gadgets are sufficiently charged up for your all-important social media posts.

How about snacks and beverages? Well, the Shaze includes a drainable cooler with plenty of room for sandwiches and drinks! It even has a secure storage compartment with a combination lock for stashing your valuables out of sight.

Ready to take your poolside lounge chair experience to the next level? While the first orders were pegged for a May 2017 ship date, Shake’s IndieGogo page is still accepting funding orders for July shipments. Check its page for more details.

8. Deeper Smart Sonar Fish Finder for smartphones

Do you have a fisherman or woman in your life? Then the Deeper Smart Sonar Smartphone Fish Finder Attachment will make the perfect gift!

This small tennis-ball sized gizmo can be cast at any fishing spot and with the use of sonar and temperature sensors, it will provide detailed info including depth, temperature and fish location to a smartphone via the free Deeper App (available for iOS and Android).

This fisherman’s friend can connect via Bluetooth and is suitable for any fishing style, salt water or fresh water alike, be it kayak fishing, shore fishing, boat fishing or ice fishing.

The app keeps track of the weather, too, so that you will never have to be caught out in the middle of a storm during your fishing trip.

10. Fitbit Flex 2

Has the warmer weather inspired you to start becoming more active? Or maybe you’re always looking for ways to keep your workouts interesting. No matter where you are in your fitness journey, it is important to keep track of your progress.

One way to track progress is to monitor and compare each day’s activity. The Fitbit Flex 2 will track all your activity, save it in the Fitbit app, and let you know when you’ve almost reached your daily goals.

It can record your steps, how far you’ve gone, the number of calories you’ve burned and how long you were active. It’s swim-proof too so it can record swim workouts when you’re beating the heat in the pool or the ocean.

11. CampStove 2 Bundle

Vacation stays at five-star resorts are nice but nothing compares to sleeping under the stars. However, “roughing it” in the wild can be a little intimidating. With the right tools, you can still immerse yourself in the great outdoors without it feeling like a survival trip.

A well-cooked meal is one way to do that and the CampStove 2 Bundle by BioLite makes outdoor cooking really simple. This compact setup includes a fire-starting canister, a grill top, and a kettle so it can boil, cook or grill your meals. The canister also converts fire into electricity so that it can charge your devices!

12. iGrill2 Meat Thermometer

Everyone knows that the MVP of any successful summer party is the person stationed at the grill. He or she has the important task of making sure all the food is tasty and thoroughly cooked. But it can be hard to keep an eye on the food’s progress and still enjoy the party.

That’s why the iGrill2 Meat Thermometer is so helpful. Instead of being stuck next to the grill all day, you can get alerts sent to your phone to tell you when your food is the perfect temperature. The thermometer uses Bluetooth to send messages that you check through an app and it has a 150-foot range.

13. CaliCase Universal Waterproof Floating Case

When you’re out basking at the side of the pool, or wading your feet in the waves on the shoreline, the last thing you want is to accidentally drop your phone. Water damage is one of the most common ways your smartphone or tablet can be destroyed.

If you don’t want to risk ruining your device and losing access to all of your data, you need to get the CaliCase Universal Waterproof Floating Case. This durable case is made of two layers of PVC plastic and can protect your device from drops and spills into water up to 100 feet. Not that your device would ever sink that far considering the case floats and keeps your gadget above water.

If it’s dark out, don’t worry! The glow in the dark material means you won’t have any trouble finding it. And the one-size-fits-all design means you can use this protective case to cover the following models:

14. Zero Breeze Portable AC

Don’t let summer temperatures get you overheated. With the Zero Breeze Portable Air Conditioner, you can stay nice and cool. This compact A/C unit has the ability to cool a room measuring 50 square feet down to just 44F. Plus, there are a few extra surprises hiding inside. Using the unit’s powerful battery bank, you can charge up your smartphone with two accessible USB charging ports.

If that’s not enough to get you excited, the A/C unit has a built-in Bluetooth speaker along with a LED light. This means you won’t need more than one gadget to stay cool while listening to your favorite music, podcasts and more.

15. Electric Portable Cooler/Warmer

Whether you’re taking a road trip or driving the family out to the beach, keeping your snacks and drinks cold can be a real challenge. You can use a regular, old ice chest. But that only keeps things chilled until the ice melts.

There’s a better way to get your refreshments from point A to B. The Electric Portable Cooler/Warmer plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter to refrigerate your snacks for as long as you need.

Thirty minutes is all it takes to bring the temperature inside down to 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Or, if you’re taking warm meals along, you can heat this portable unit up to 140 degrees.

Lightweight and compact, this portable cooler easily fits into your vehicle’s back seat and still leaves room for your passengers to stretch out. Still, even though this cooler won’t take up too much space, it can still carry everything you need for your picnic. The 14-liter storage compartment has enough room to hold 12 cans or bottles.

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